March Madness 2006, WhoDoYaLike?

I'm running the office brackets this year and am leaning towards picking a Big East team (UConn or Villanova) to go all the way. Who do you like?

Here's some background if you haven't followed all year and need help with your brackets.
My 2 cents:
UNC, Ohio State and Memphis are RED HOT, but not final 4 material.
Duke is overrated, but will make Final 4, and no further. Coach K is a wizard at these tournaments, minus the big games.
Keep an eye on the winner of the Big 10 Tourney (look for OSU, MiSt, ILL, Iowa)
Scarry when hot: Duke (pre-season #1), MI St (deep-pre season top 5), ILL (pre season top 3), Arizona (pre-season top10)
Disappointments this year:
MiSt, ILL, Az - all have lots of good tourney experience and in final 4 last year, just haven't shown up this year.

Interesting picks indeed Ssnyderjr. I have to say that you made some excellent points, you definitely know your college hoops. However, I have to disagree with the Dukies being in the Final Four. I think they are way overrated and due to take a fall in the sweet 16 or elite 8. It really depends on the seatings. Being a Big Ten fan, you can probably guess who I am going to be picking the majority of. Don't count out WVU and Pittsnoogle, which might be the greatest basketball name EVER. That could almost be a thread all to its own.

I'm a Syracuse grad - so when they choke and are out of it, I stop watching - Boeheim should have been fired after the 86 debacle - so for me, it's like being a Sox fan, my heart gets broken more times than not - though I do wear my 2002 win sweatshirt!

You got it

I'm carryin the torch. I will reclaim the trophies early next week and polish them for the tourney.
Hopefully I'll be able to put my name on the 1st place trophy again. Can't wait.

Currently we have a 1st place trophy with names of past winners on them, a 2nd place trophy with names of past winners and the "You Suck" last place trophy. These prizes go along with cash, usually over $100 for the winner, gives people a reason to watch and get into it. Cmavis sent it by our police chief and law director as to its legality, and they were cool with it, so we have had a blast with it the last 6+ years.

I've run our brackets for years and we pay out, but no trophies. Bragging rights for a year, though.

(Anyone that hasn't run a bracket, let me tell you: it is a poop-pile of work! If ever you do volunteer to run one be sure to stay as current with results during the first/second rounds or you'll be in a heap o' trouble...)

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Gonzaga and Adam Morrison. That's a team I'd keep an eye on for sure.

As a philosophy, I always look for the best 4 or 5 seed to go a long way.

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.Abraham Lincoln

disappointed

I am disappointed in the lack of interest this thread has drawn. Is there no mild sports nuts out there? Maybe it's just a Midwest thing, but this is a big deal. I feel sorry for you in your office if there is no kind of office pool where you work. This is huge as far as getting to know your co-workers goes. Attached I have a sample of how easy it is to run an office pool. Courtesy of MS Excel

I am disappointed in the lack of interest this thread has drawn. Is there no mild sports nuts out there? Maybe it's just a Midwest thing, but this is a big deal. I feel sorry for you in your office if there is no kind of office pool where you work.

Oh, we'll have a huge pool here at the office (60+ folks, winner take all, last place gets their entry money back), but I usually can't get geeked up about it until the brackets are released.

I noticed with interest that nobody listed any Pac10 teams. UCLA and Cal are gonna make some serious noise. Maybe not get into the final four but sure to upset some selections. But then again, I could be wrong.